Viewers Can Watch The Award-Winning Comedy From The Beginning Starting September 21

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - September 1, 2009 - The hit comedy "The Office" is set to debut in national syndication and fans can catch all the hilarious moments from the start on local broadcast stations starting Monday, September 21 (see local station information below.)

NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution has sold "The Office" in more than 98% of the U.S. for its off-network syndication debut.

Much like the iconic sitcom "Seinfeld's" impact on popular culture, "The Office" has ushered in a new generation of comedy fans with it's classic episodes like "Diversity Day," "The Merger," "Casino Night" and "The Dundies," and it's made catch phrases such as "That's What She Said" and "Big Tuna" part of the lexicon.

Since its premiere on NBC in March 2005, "The Office" has established itself as a genuine hit, earning prestigious television honors such as the 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, 2006 Peabody Award, 2006 and 2008 AFI Honor, Producers Guild Award, Writers Guild Award, SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy, Ace Eddie Award for editing and a Television Critic's Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. And "The Office" was recently nominated for ten Emmy Awards for its 2008-2009 season, including Outstanding Comedy Series.

"I think 'The Office' will play well in syndication because it's a character comedy and it's pretty dense with humor and story," says "The Office'" Executive Producer, Greg Daniels. "Steve Carell and the ensemble cast are mostly from improv backgrounds and they do a lot of funny stuff when they are just listening or barely on camera, so there are really great moments that you only catch on multiple viewings."

"The Office" has been NBC's top-rated comedy for the last three years and has grown its audience each season, including double-digit growth during the 2008-2009 TV season. The series grew 14% in Adults 18-34, 14% in Adults 18-49 and 17% in Adults 25-54 vs. last season and it improved on its lead-in by 96% in Adults 18-49, the most growth over a network show of any sitcom on any network, according to Nielsen Media Research.

A fly-on-the-wall comedy about modern American office life, "The Office" delves into the lives of the workers at Dunder Mifflin paper supply-company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Regional manager Michael Scott (Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Steve Carell, "Get Smart," "Little Miss Sunshine") is a single, middle-aged man who is the boastful tour guide for the documentary.

"The Office" is executive-produced by Ben Silverman, Greg Daniels, who developed the series for American audiences, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein and Paul Lieberstein.

"The Office" is produced by Reveille, Universal Media Studios and Deedle-Dee Productions and distributed in national syndication by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.

About NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution:

The NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution division is responsible for the distribution of NBC Universal product to all forms of television within the U.S. and Canada. This includes distribution of current and library film and television product, including formats and non-scripted programming, in the pay, free, and basic markets, as well as the domestic syndication of first-run syndicated TV programs and theatrical and TV movie packages.

Current and upcoming first-run strip syndicated programming at NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution includes Deal or No Deal, Access Hollywood, The Jerry Springer Show, The Martha Stewart Show, Maury and The Steve Wilkos Show. Current first-run weekly syndicated programming includes The Chris Matthews Show, The Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo and the off-network distribution of 30 Rock, Heroes, The Office, House, Monk, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and much more.